Sports equipment device

ABSTRACT

A padded barrel and a handle. The padded barrel has a lower end, an upper end, and a contact surface extending between the lower end and the upper end. The upper end has a ball receiving depression. A handle extends from the lower end of the barrel.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

The present application claims priority to a provisional patent application identified by U.S. Ser. No. 63/142,712, filed Jan. 28, 2021, titled “SPORTS EQUIPMENT DEVICE”; the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Many sports exist using a ball and another device used to hit or handle the ball or strike the ball away from an opponent in order to be successful. Such sports may include baseball, lacrosse, and polo. They are entertaining and largely popular because of the high degree of skill and coordination needed to effectively use the handheld devices in a physical competition on a field or a formal court.

None of these sports includes a device that can not only be used to handle and control a ball but also to safely strike an opposing player in order to gain a competitive advantage in the control of the ball. For example, a forceful contact of a lacrosse stick is legal, but is limited to the opponent's stick and gloves. Lacrosse sticks are rigid and could cause undesirable injury to an opponent.

With the exception of polo, these sports require the players to play or run on foot in order to advance or stop a ball. Playing sports on foot has become less interesting in modern times when devices such as Segway® motorized self-balancing trollies, scooters, and electric skateboards have become more popular. Many of these devices are popular because they provide a core workout for the rider, increased adventure and speed, and open the door to a new way of experiencing sports.

Therefore, a need exists for a device that can not only be used to skillfully control a ball, but also to safely engage in combat with an opposing player while riding on a motorized vehicle or electric board. A need also exists for a method of playing a game involving a ball and a device to advance the ball while riding on a motorized vehicle or board. It is to such a method that the inventive concepts disclosed herein are directed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a sports equipment device according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein shown with a ball positioned on an upper end of the device.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 a cross section taken along the 5-5 line of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is cutaway, perspective view illustrating a cover attached to a shaft of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating use of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic view illustrating use of the device of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

In the following detailed description of embodiments of the inventive concepts, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the inventive concepts. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the inventive concepts disclosed and claimed herein may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known features have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily complicating the instant disclosure.

As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” “including,” “has,” “having” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements or steps is not necessarily limited to only those elements or steps and may include other elements, steps, or features not expressly listed or inherently present therein.

Unless expressly stated to the contrary, “or” refers to an inclusive or and not to an exclusive or. For example, a condition A or B is satisfied by anyone of the following: A is true (or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or not present) and B is true (or present), and both A and B is true (or present).

In addition, use of the “a” or “an” are employed to describe elements and components of the embodiments herein. This is done merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the inventive concepts. This description should be read to include one or at least one and the singular also includes the plural unless it is obvious that it is meant otherwise.

Throughout this disclosure and the claims, the terms “about,” “approximately,” and “substantially” are intended to signify that the item being qualified is not limited to the exact value specified, but includes slight variations or deviations therefrom, caused by measuring error, manufacturing tolerances, stress exerted on various parts, wear and tear, or combinations thereof, for example.

The use of the term “at least one” will be understood to include one as well as any quantity more than one, including but not limited to each of, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 100, and all integers there between. The term “at least one” may extend up to 100 or 1000 or more, depending on the term to which it is attached; in addition, the quantities of 100/1000 are not to be considered limiting, as higher limits may also produce satisfactory results. Singular terms shall include pluralities and plural terms shall include the singular unless indicated otherwise.

The term “or combinations thereof” as used herein refers to all permutations and/or combinations of the listed items preceding the term. For example, “A, B, C, or combinations thereof” is intended to include at least one of: A, B, C, AB, AC, BC, or ABC, and if order is important in a particular context, also BA, CA, CB, CBA, BCA, ACB, BAC, or CAB. Continuing with this example, expressly included are combinations that contain repeats of one or more item or term, such as BB, AAA, AAB, BBC, AAABCCCC, CBBAAA, CABABB, and so forth. The skilled artisan will understand that typically there is no limit on the number of items or terms in any combination, unless otherwise apparent from the context.

Finally, as used herein any reference to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular element, feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment, although the inventive concepts disclosed herein are intended to encompass all combinations and permutations including one or more features of the embodiments described herein.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-6, a sports equipment device 10 is illustrated. The device 10 is used in a game referred to by its inventor as the BLUDGEONBALL™ game. The device 10 is used by a player, such as a player 52 (shown in FIGS. 7-8), to guide, pass, and strike a ball, such as a ball 12—as well as block the ball 12 when defending the ball 12 against an opponent. The device 10 is also used to strike other opponents, defend against other opponents' attacks, and aid in balance and turning on an electric board, such as an electric board 14 (shown in FIGS. 7-8).

The device 10 includes a padded barrel 16 and a handle 18 extending from the padded barrel 16. The padded barrel 16 includes a lower end 20, an upper end 22, and a contact surface 24 extending between the lower end 20 and the upper end 22. As best shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the upper end 22 includes a ball receiving depression 26. The handle 18 extends from the lower end 20 of the padded barrel 16.

As best shown in FIG. 5, a shaft 28 defines the handle 18. The shaft 28 includes a lower portion 30, an upper portion 32, and an uppermost end 34. The lower portion 30 of the shaft 28 defines the handle 18 and the upper portion 32 of the shaft 28 extends through the padded barrel 16 with the uppermost end 34 of the shaft 28 spaced a distance below the upper end 22 of the padded barrel 16. The handle 18 includes a grip 35 for grasping the handle 18.

The padded barrel 16 further includes a padding 36 and a cover 38. The padding 36 surrounds the upper portion 32 of the shaft 28. The cover 38 surrounds the padding 36, and the cover 38 is attached to the upper portion 32 of the shaft 28 in a way to form the ball receiving depression 26. As best shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the cover 28 includes a base material 40 and a stitching 42. The stitching 42 extends between the base material 40 and the upper portion 32 of the shaft 28. As best shown in FIG. 6, the stitching 42 includes a plurality of threads 44, and the upper portion 32 of the shaft 28 includes a plurality of openings 46. The plurality of threads 44 extend through the plurality of openings 46 and attaches the cover 38 to the upper portion 32 of the shaft 28.

The sports equipment device 10 may be, but is not limited to being between about 32.0 inches and about 36.0 long. The shaft 28 is preferably rigid and may be formed of carbon fiber, strong synthetic fiber, such as fiber referred to by the brand name Kevlar®, or any other rigid and lightweight suitable material known in the art. The shaft 28 may be, but is not limited to being, about 1.0 inches in diameter. The handle 18 may be, but is not limited to being, between about 22.0 and 24.0 inches long. The grip 35 of the handle 18 may be formed of rubber, such as ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber (EPDM) or nitrile PVC (NPVC) rubber. The grip 35 may also be formed of any suitable material known for better gripping and holding a handle. The grip 35 may be, but is not limited to being, between about ¼ and about ⅜ inches thick.

The padded barrel 16 is cylindrical and may be formed of a variety of materials, including, but not limited to, a high-density foam or other known padded material suitable for striking a player. The padded barrel 16 may be, but is not limited to being, between about 12.0 inches and about 15.0 inches long. The padded barrel 16 may be, but is not limited to being, between about 4.0 and about 6.0 inches in diameter. In one embodiment, the padded barrel 16 is 5.0 inches in diameter. In this embodiment, the thickness of the padding 36 may be about 2.0 inches. The cover 38 may be formed of a variety of materials including, but not limited to stitched leather, suede, or animal hide.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the padded barrel 16 tapers from the upper end 22 to the lower end 20. The tapering of the padded barrel 16 may be formed by changing the level of compression exerted by the cover 38 against the padding 36 along the length of the padded barrel 16. For example, in the embodiment where the padded barrel is about 5.0 inches in diameter, the upper end 22 may be 5.0 inches in diameter, and the lower end 20 may be 4.0 inches in diameter. The difference in diameter along the length of the padded barrel 16 may be achieved by tightening the stitching 42 along the length of the padded barrel 16 to increase compression exerted by the cover 38 against the padding 36. The tapering of the padded barrel 16 may help distribute the weight of the barrel 16 and may help to assist a player in popping the ball off of a ground surface to enable to the ball 12 to became airborne for advancing towards a goal.

The ball receiving depression 26 is concave and conforms to the curvature of a ball, such as the ball 12. The ball receiving depression 26 may be, but is not limited to being, between about ¼ to about ¾ inches deep. In one embodiment, the ball receiving depression is about ½ inches deep. It should be appreciated that the ball receiving depression 26 may be formed of a wide variety of depths depending on the size of a ball used to play the BLUDGEONBALL™ game. As shown in FIG. 6, by way of example and not by way of limitation, in one embodiment, the ball receiving depression 26 is formed by threading the plurality of threads 44 through the plurality of holes 46 on the upper portion 32 of the shaft 28 and securing the plurality of threads 44 to the shaft 28. Because the uppermost end 34 of the shaft 28 is vertically spaced a distance below the upper end 22 of the padded barrel 16—the cover 38 compresses against the upper end 22 of the padded barrel 16 and curves inwardly to attach the cover 38 to the upper portion 32 of the shaft 28 and forms the concave ball receiving depression 26.

As shown in FIG. 7, the ball receiving depression 26 on the upper end 22 of the padded barrel 16 may be used to guide the ball 14 on a ground surface, such as a ground surface 50, while the player 52 is in motion on the electric board 14. As shown in FIG. 8, the ball receiving depression 26 may also be used to stop motion on the ball 14 by moving the device 10 to an upright vertical position and placing the upper end 22 of the padded barrel 16 on top of the ball 12 when the ball 12 is in a goal area while playing the BLUDGEONBALL™ game.

Now described herein are an additional set of rules or “Laws,” which govern the BLUDGEONBALL™ game described above. The following Laws relate to modifications of the game. Subject to an agreement of a member association concerned and provided, the principles of these Laws are maintained, the Laws may be modified in their application for competitions for players of under 16 years of age, for women players (also referred to the inventor as “bludgeonballers”), for co-ed bludgeonballers, for veteran bludgeonballers (over 35 years of age) and for players with disabilities. Furthermore, the game in its purest form is played with a considerable amount of physical contact with the opposing players and with the bludgeons. A reduction in the degree of contact is encouraged when the players agree to such based on their experience or preference. Specific gradations in the extent of contact are described herein.

Any or all of the following modifications are permissible including, but not limited to, the degree of allowed bludgeon contact: (1) size of the field of play, (2) size, weight and material of the ball 12, (3) width between the goalposts and height of the crossbar from the ground, (4) duration of the periods of play or score to be obtained to win, (5) substitutions, and (5) number of players on each team. Further modifications are only allowed with the consent of the International Bludgeonball Authority or IBBA.

References to the male gender in the Laws of the Game in respect of referees, assistant referees, players and officials are for simplification and apply to both men and women. On behalf of the International Bludgeonball Authority, the IBBA intends to publish the Laws of the Game in English, French, German and Spanish. If there is any divergence in the wording, the English text is authoritative.

Now described herein is a set of terminology which may be used in the BLUDGEONBALL™ game.

“Bludge” means to avoid work or responsibility.

“Bludger” means a player brawler who gets by on the hard work of others, a brawler who typically favors fewer physical confrontations relative to the brawler considered the bludgeoner in a mob.

“Bludgeon.” When used a noun, “bludgeon” is the name the inventor has chosen to call the device 10, which is a thick stick with a heavy end, used as weapon. When used as a verb, “bludgeon” means (1) to beat a player repeatedly with a bludgeon or other heavy object, (2) to force or bully a player to do something, or (3) to make one's way by brute force (as in, to “bludgeon one's way”).

“Bludgeoner” means the most physically aggressive brawler on a mob or bludgeonball team.

“Brawl” means a bludgeonball game or tournament.

“Brawler” (also referred to as a “bludgeonballer”) means a bludgeonball player that is a member of a mob or bludgeonball team.

“Bully” means a set play in which a single brawler from each opposing mob engages in a short duel in a bully circle to win possession of the ball. The winning brawler will gain possession by either pushing their opponent out of the bully circle or severing them from their board. If either player touches the ball with their board before either of them are severed or forced out of the circle, the opposing player who didn't touch the ball in the circle may use their bludgeon and play on. The brawler that touched the ball with their board may not use their bludgeon until a player not involved in the bully touches the ball with either their board or bludgeon.

“Bully circle” means a circle with a 6.0-foot radius where a bully takes place, the bully circle is located in the center of half line and at the center of the attacking/defending lines. All bully circles contain a center mark.

“Burn-rush” means a penalty shot awarded to a brawler that was perped by a brawler on the other mob. The burn-rush transpires by the offending brawler taking position on the goal line they are defending and the shooter in the center bully circle. The shooter then burn-rushes the defender who can only defend the goal using their electronic boards. The defender's bludgeon must not touch the ball, the board or the brawler making the burn rush otherwise two points are awarded to the shooting brawler's mob. If a goal is scored by the shooting brawler, they must still clear to be awarded two points, otherwise they are only awarded one point.

“Clear” means riding the board back across the half line within the yield lines after scoring a goal. This must be accomplished in order to return to the attacking side of the field and to be awarded two points for the goal versus only one point if unable to clear. Every brawler on the scoring side must clear to their defending half before returning to the attacking side after a goal is scored.

“Cork” means using one's bludgeon to knock an opponent's bludgeon out of their hand thus causing the bludgeon to shoot across the field like a cork shooting out of a bottle.

“Goal line” means the two shorter lines on the ends of the field on which the goal is placed.

“Gootch” means the act of being stopped suddenly because you have rolled over the ball stopping the rotation of your wheel. This term is reminiscent of slang from skateboarding which implies having the board strikes the area directly behind the genitals.

“Lopsided bully” means a bully that occurs on either attacking/defending line.

“Lopsided scrum” means a scrum that occurs outside of the middle two quarters.

“Mob” means a team of brawlers or bludgeonball players.

“Mobball” means any game played which is similar to bludgeonball but played amongst brawlers of the same mob or local area. Mobball is typically played without referees and has any number of modifications to the game per the mob's preference including levels of contact, field markings, goal and ball size and game duration.

“Mobbin” is a slang term for engaging in mobball or bludgeonball.

“Perp” means a foul or brawler that commits any foul but specifically named as such for a foul in which one brawler's E-board strikes another brawler's E-board in a vector perpendicular to or at least greater than 45 degrees relative to the opponent's board.

“Ready” (or a player at ready) means a brawler standing with both feet on their board but not moving anywhere. They are able to use their bludgeon in this position but may not move. This is required of a brawler who has been vanquished. They may commence moving once a brawler who was not involved in the bully touches the ball.

“Scrum” means a method of restarting play by a referee in which the ball is dropped between two opposing players boards and play commences immediately upon ball reentry. Scrums are necessary when play has been stopped for reasons not resulting in a yield or perp. Scrums may be performed without a referee by placing the ball between the boards of opposing brawlers and having them initiate play on the ball after a three-count repetitive sequence of first touching their own board followed by a touch of the opposing brawler's bludgeon.

“Sever” means to cause an opposing brawler to come off their board.

“Severed” means the state of coming off your board, having at least one foot off your board.

“Squelch” means the act of stopping play in your defending quarter for a time out, player injury, or to quickly advance the ball down field with a batted strike. The squelch must be signaled by stopping the motion of the ball by placing the depressed end of the bludgeon held with both hands in a straight vertical position on top of the ball while stationary on the E-board. This allows the brawler to get off the E-board and pick up the ball. The mobs may then convene for a time out or injury. They may then restart play by striking the ball with the bludgeon in any manner they wish including a service in which they throw the ball in the air and strike it with the bludgeon in the air. The squelch must take place within the defending quarter. The squelch can subsequently result in a score. A goal may not be scored directly from a squelch unless struck by a member of the same mob or if it deflects off an opposing brawler prior to entering the goal. A player on the same mob as the squelcher must touch the ball with their board or bludgeon prior to the ball entering the goal in order for a goal to be scored.

“Squirt” means the act of rolling all the way over the ball with the board after a gooch, causing the tire to spin and squirt the ball out of the back of the board.

“Vanquish” means to win a bully or burn-rush.

“Vanquished” means having lost a bully or burn-rush.

“Yeet.” When used as a verb, “yeet” means to throw or send with a great degree of force. When used as a noun, “yeet” means a manner of passing and scoring in which the ball is served in the air to a fellow brawler and struck midair by the bludgeon. The goal must be scored without bouncing prior to crossing the goal line.

“Yield line” means the longer of the two perimeter lines marking the lateral boundary of active play.

Now described herein is a method of playing a game using the sports equipment device 10. The BLUDGEONBALL™ a game played on a battery powered electric board, such as an electric board, such as an electric board 14 (shown in FIGS. 7-8). The electric board 14 is preferably, but is not limited to being, no more than 12.0 inches in height, 12.0 inches in width, and 36.0 inches in length. The electric board 14 preferably does not have attached modifications intended to aid in direct control of the ball. The electric board 14 is inspected by at least one official prior to playing a sanctioned game.

The BLUDGEONBALL™ a game play includes of two separate teams (referred to by the inventor as a “mob”) in tournament (referred to by the inventor as a “brawl”). Each player, such as player 52 (referred to by the inventor as a “brawler”, such as brawler 52), rides the electric board 14 and uses the device 10 (referred to be the inventor as a “bludgeon,” such as bludgeon 10), to both control a ball, such as the ball 12, in a field of play and to strike and push an opposing mobs' brawler(s). The physical confrontations with opposing brawlers using the bludgeon 10 are done so in order to inhibit their ability to control the ball 12 and to sever them from the electric board 14 they are riding rendering them unable to engage in further contact with the ball 12 or other brawlers until they are once again mounted on the board 14.

Brawls are won when one mob scores twenty-one points. Points are accumulated by scoring a plurality of goals. Goals in which the brawler 52 advances (or “bludgeons”) the ball 12 across a goal line into a goal and maintains his position on the board 14, and rides the board 14 back past a half line between a plurality of yield lines, are scored two points. Goals in which the brawler 52 bludgeons the ball 12 past the goal line into the goal and then either becomes severed from the board 14 or rides outside the yield lines prior to crossing the half line are worth one point. Specially assisted goals (referred to as “yeeted goals”) are worth three points.

Now described herein are additional components of the BLUDGEONBALL™ game.

Field Surface. Matches may be played on natural or artificial surfaces, according to the rules of the competition, but natural surfaces are preferred. The color of artificial surfaces is preferably green. Where artificial surfaces are used in either competition matches between representative mobs of member associations affiliated to IBBA or international club competition matches, the surface must meet the requirements of the IBBA Quality Concept for BLUDGEONBALL™ turf or the International Artificial Turf Standard, unless special dispensation is given by IBBA. Specifically, no artificial infill material may be used.

Field Markings. The BLUDGEONBALL™ game is played on a field with markings specific to the rules of play. The field must be made fair and safe for players and set up in a way which also considers spectator safety to be of paramount importance. The only markings allowed on any and all parts of the field are those outlined in these rules or in the IBBA marketing guidelines. Any deviations from these requirements for any IBBA competition require IBBA approval. For arena guidelines and facility requirements, see relevant manuals. The field of play must be rectangular in shape and marked with lines. These lines belong to the areas of which there are boundaries. The two longer boundary lines are called yield lines. The two shorter lines are called goal lines. The field of play is divided into two halves by a halfway line, which joins the midpoints of the two yield lines. The center mark is indicated at the midpoint of the halfway line. A bully circle with a radius of 6 feet is marked around it. Each half of the field of play is further divided into two additional areas by an attacking/defending line, which joins the points marked on the yield line one quarter of the yield line length away from the goal line on each end. At the midpoint of each attacking/defending line there are additional bully circles with a radius of 6 feet marked around it.

Dimensions. The length of the yield line must be greater than the length of the goal line. All lines must be of the same width, which must be not more than 5 inches. Length (yield line): minimum 100, feet maximum 200 feet Width (goal line): minimum 50 feet maximum 100 feet

Goals. Goals are positioned outside the field of play at the center of and touching each goal line. No equipment or items, such as helmets, face masks, hand protectors, towels, water bottles etc. may be placed inside the goals. Goal size and shape may vary depending on local preference however for brawls consisting of three or fewer brawlers per side a rectangular or dome faced goal with a width of 6-8 feet and height of 4-6 feet is recommended. For larger sided brawls goals are recommenced to be 10-12 feet in width and 6-8 feet in height. The goalposts and crossbar must be made of wood, metal or other approved material. They must be square, rectangular, round or elliptical in shape and must not be dangerous to players.

Bludgeon Specifications. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in one embodiment, the bludgeon may be 32-36 inches in length with one end covered in padding made from high density foam which is 12-14 inches in length with a tapered cylinder shape. The bludgeon pad must be at least 2 inches thick on all sides surrounding the interior handle. The inner padding material may be compressed up to ½ inch on each side of the handle. Additionally, the slightly concave end of the pad should make a depression no more than ½ inch deep relative to the outer edge at the end of the bludgeon. The handle of the bludgeon must be 20-24 inches in length with a stiff cored tube less than one inch in diameter. The stiff inner tube must be covered with an EPDM or NPVC padded grip no less than ¼ inch thick. The total weight of the bludgeon should not exceed 32 ounces or 907 grams.

Ball Specifications. The ball is spherical, made of leather or other suitable material, of a circumference of not more than 70 cm (28 ins) and not less than, 68 cm (27 ins), not more than 450 g (16 oz) and not less than 410 g (14 oz) in weight at the start of the match, of a pressure equal to 0.6-1.1 atmosphere (600-1,100 g/cm2) at sea level (8.5 lbs./sq in-15.6 lbs./sq in).

Replacement of a Defective Ball. If the ball bursts or becomes defective during the course of a match the match is stopped, and the match is restarted by dropping the replacement ball at the place where the original ball became defective, unless play was stopped in a defending quarter, in which case the referee drops the replacement ball on a point on the defending line nearest to where the original ball was located. If the ball bursts or becomes defective during a burn rush or bully before it touches any player or the crossbar or goalposts the burn rush is retaken. If the ball bursts or becomes defective whilst not in play, the match is restarted accordingly. The ball may not be changed during the match without the authority of the referee.

Basic equipment. The basic compulsory equipment of a player comprises the following separate items: (1) a jersey or shirt with or without sleeves—if undergarments are worn, the color of the sleeve must be the same main color as the sleeve of the jersey or shirt; (2) shorts—if undershorts or tights are worn, they must be of the same main color as the shorts, (3) stockings—if tape or similar material is applied externally it must be the same color as that part of the stocking it is applied to; (4) ankle/shin guards; (5) footwear; (6) helmet; (7) electronic board; and (8) Bludgeon. Ankle/shin guards are covered entirely by the stocking or shoes, are made of rubber, hard foam, plastic or a similar suitable material, provide a reasonable degree of protection, and may alternatively be incorporated to the shoe itself.

Colors. The two teams must wear colors that distinguish them from each other and also the referee and the assistant referees. If a low light game is being played, either same color LED or glow lights must distinguish players on their jerseys and helmet. Bludgeons from one mob are typically all fashioned from one animal hide. This does give individual mobs a similar appearance with respect to their bludgeons.

Duration of A Brawl. The duration of the brawl continues until one mob scores 21 points and is leading the other mob by 2 points. Halftime of the brawl commences when the leading mob scores 10 points and the mobs then switch sides of the field. Play is again resumed and continues until one mob reaches 21 points and is leading the other team by at least 2 points.

Composition of Mobs. BLUDGEONBALL™ may be played in any combination or quantity of players so as to make competition sufficient and agreeable to both mobs. Sanctioned and refereed games must however, be played with an equal number of brawlers on each side but may be played with an agreed number of brawlers on each side from 2-5, 3 vs 3 being the optimal configuration of brawls. Brawl size is set prior to start of play and each mob may consist of up to twice the number of brawlers as are on each side during active play.

Start of Play. Start of play begins with a bully. A single brawler from each opposing mob engages in a short duel in a bully circle to win possession of the ball. The winning brawler will gain possession by either pushing their opponent out of the bully circle or severing them from their board. If either player touches the ball with their board before either of them are severed or forced out of the circle, the opposing player who didn't touch the ball in the circle may use their bludgeon and play on. The brawler that touched the ball with their board may not use their bludgeon until a player not involved in the bully touches the ball with either their board or bludgeon. If both brawlers touch the ball with their board in the bully circle neither player may use their bludgeon until a player outside the bully circle touches the ball. All other brawlers must be within the perimeter of their defending quarter while the bully is taking place. These brawlers may only leave the defending quarter and commence play when either the ball has touched one of brawlers or if a brawler become severed from their board. The losing or vanquished brawler must remain at ready until a brawler not involved in the bully touches the ball. The start of play, at both the onset of the brawl and halftime of the brawl, commences with a bully.

Restart of Play. Restart of play is required at halftime or when a yield or perp has been called. Restart of play is also required when a goal has been scored or a squelch has been performed. Occasionally restart of play is required when extraneous factors interrupt play, there is an inadvertent injury, or a collision occurs in which there is question over whether a perp occurred and no particular brawler is found to be at fault.

When a mob scores a goal that brings the cumulative score to 10 or more, halftime of the brawl is called and both mobs have a 5-minute stoppage in play to reconvene outside the yield line. The restart of play at halftime commences with a bully.

When a yield is called by either mob because the ball has traveled outside the yield line, the brawler in the yield position indicates the yield point by moving to a spot within reach of their bludgeon and pointing to the spot with their bludgeon closest to where the ball exited the field. The brawler in possession of the ball must then reenter the field or pass the ball back into play at a location upfield from the indicated yield point. Yield may also be called when the ball travels past the goal line but not in the goal. The brawler in possession of the ball may reenter the field anywhere along the goal line but may only travel behind the goal one time every time the ball crosses the goal line. Once yield has been called by either player, no bludgeon contact may occur inside or outside the field of play until restart of play commences. If play has been stopped because a perp has been called, the brawler awarded possession takes the ball to the point of infraction and waits at ready until all brawlers on the opposing mob clear at least one line upfield from the point of infraction.

The restart of play after a squelch begins when the brawler who performed the squelch reenters the ball into play by striking the ball with their bludgeon. This strike may be performed on the ground, after a bounce or with a self-service into the air. The brawler restarting play after a squelch may be on their board or their feet anywhere in the defending quarter.

Restart of play after a goal begins immediately after the ball crosses the goal line. The ball is retrieved out of the goal and advanced down field by the mob that was scored on. All members of the scoring team must clear but may start defending at their attacking line provided they have already properly cleared. They may not cross over and start defending within the opposing mobs defending quarter.

Restart of play with a scrum is indicated when time has been called because of extraneous factors or when no advantage should be awarded because either two opposing players both committed canceling perps or it is determined no infractions have occurred. The scrum location is the center bully circle if stoppage occurs when the ball is anywhere in the middle two quarters. When the ball is located in the attacking/defending quarters at the time of stoppage, the scrum location is at the point nearest to where the ball was when time was called.

Methods of Scoring. Goals may be scored utilizing either the bludgeon or the electric board. No part of the body may be used to push, strike, block or deflect the ball into the goal. A goal may deflect off a defender's body and is still considered legal but a defender may not use their hands or arms to block a goal. The ball may not deflect off any part of an offensive player's body into the goal for a legal score. Goals scored must be shot from outside the scoring mob's defending quarter and may not cross all three inner field lines. Goals scored legally can be worth 1, 2, or 3 points. A goal is worth only one point if the brawler scores a goal with the bludgeon or the board and either becomes severed from their board, gets corked or drops their bludgeon, or isn't able to successfully clear within the yield lines. A goal is worth two points if the brawler legally scores the goal then clears within the lines with their bludgeon in hand. Yeet goals are worth 3 points and there are three types, bludgeon, board and squelch.

Yeet. Yeet goals require an assist from one brawler to another on the same mob in which the ball in sent in the air to the goal scorer by either the bludgeon or the board. The scorer must strike the yeeted ball in the air with their bludgeon and it must cross the goal line into the goal in the air without bouncing within the field of play. If both brawlers involved in a legal yeet clear within the yield lines, the score is worth 3 points. If either brawler fails to clear successfully it is only worth 2 points. During a squelch yeet, the yeeting brawler is already clear and thus only the striking brawler needs to clear. Board yeets may occur in two ways, either forcibly bludgeoning the ball into the board causing it to become airborne off the board or rolling all the way over the ball causing the tire to spin and squirt the ball out the back into the air.

Squelch. In BLUDGEONBALL™, the squelch is both a way to interrupt play briefly to perform a substitution, address an injury, or reorganize a mob's strategy as well as a strategic move itself to quickly advance the ball down field and attempt a score directly from the defensive position. Every brawler on a mob may squelch the ball one time each brawl. A squelch is signaled by stopping the ball with the top of the bludgeon with the bludgeon held with both hands perpendicular to the ground. The brawler must be in their own defensive quarter and the board they are riding may not be rolling when the squelch is signaled. Once a squelch has been signaled the squelching mob may take up to 3 minutes in the defensive quarter to perform a substitution, rest, reorganize strategy or address an injury. The team not in possession of the ball must clear and remain at ready in their defending half until a member of the squelching team leaves their defending quarter or the ball is struck back into play. Alternatively, the squelching team may immediately return the ball into play in order to gain a competitive advantage down field.

Levels of Contact. BLUDGEONBALL™ is played with a considerable amount of physical contact with opposing brawlers and the bludgeons. There is no legal body to body contact allowed in BLUDGEONBALL™. All contact must be made with the bludgeon. A reduction in the degree of contact with the bludgeon is encouraged when the participants agree to such based on their experience or preference. A reduction in the degree of contact may be appropriate for amateur bludgeonballers, brawlers under 16 years of age, for women bludgeonballers, for co-ed bludgeonballers, for veteran bludgeonballers (over 35 years of age) and for brawlers with disabilities. Mobs involved in a brawl may agree on a reduction in the degree of contact and still have the game remained sanctioned if a trained referee calls the brawl. A reduction in the level of contact with other further modified rules and no referee is commonly referred to as mobbin or mob ball as these types of games are typically played among brawlers of the same mob. Most BLUDGEONBALL™ practice and recreational play would be considered mob ball.

The levels of contact designated by opposing mobs prior to play include the following: (1) “Ball only”—Brawlers may only use their bludgeons to strike the ball but may not use the bludgeons to strike, block or push opposing brawlers; (2) “Bludgeon only”—Brawlers may use their bludgeons to strike the ball as well as engage in bludgeon-to-bludgeon contact with opposing brawlers. No part of the bludgeon may contact an opposing players arms or body. Corking is allowed in the bludgeon only designation as long as the bludgeon does not contact the hand or arm; (3) “Arm only”—Brawlers may use their bludgeon to strike the ball, the bludgeons and arms and hands of opposing brawlers; (4) “Vicinity only”—Brawlers may only contact opposing players when in the immediate vicinity of the ball. Designations range from vicinity ball only to vicinity full and all other designations in between; (5) “Full-Brawlers” may strike opposing brawlers anywhere on the field at any time, but striking and pushing is limited to the bludgeon, arms, and torso between the neck and waist. No bludgeon may contact the head, neck, legs, or board of the opposing brawlers as this type of contact puts the brawlers at significant risk for a serious injury. Additionally, what is referred to as a back stab is also prohibited. A back stab entails a push or stabbing motion with the bludgeon while the top face of the bludgeon is in contact or flush with the opponents back. A stab or push may legally be performed on the front and side torso but not the back where the opponent may not be able to see the attack or properly adjust their center of gravity. The only exception to this law is in the bully circle where back stabs are allowed.

Fouls and Field Infractions. During sanctioned and refereed games, the referee will call all fouls and field infractions as they are identified. During games without a referee fouls and infractions are called by individual brawlers. Without a neutral referee, disputes may occur between brawlers of opposing mobs regarding a specific call, thus a challenge system was developed to settle these disputes and is outlined below. The first type of foul identified in the development of BLUDGEONBALL™ was one in which a brawler ran their E-board into an opposing brawler's E-board perpendicular to the opposing brawler's vector of travel. This foul was deemed a perp and subsequently all fouls and infractions were then referred to as a perp committed by perps or perpetrators. There are field perps and contact perps.

Field Perps. All field perps result in the loss of possession of the ball only. Field perps are called when a brawler crosses a field line before the time it is allowed to do so or may also be the result of not crossing a field line when it is required. Common field perps are listed below but are not limited to: (1) crossing your defending line before the ball leaves the bully circle or before a brawler in the bully becomes severed; (2) crossing your attacking line after a successful clear after a goal before the ball leaves the defending quarter; (3) crossing the midpoint more than once at the rear of the goal after retrieving the ball on a yield; (4) crossing the half line before the ball is struck out of the squelching team's defending quarter on a squelch; (5) delay of game at the restart of play or yield, typically inactivity for longer than three seconds once the ball is in control at the yield line or slow retrieval of the ball outside the yield line may result in a field perp; and (6) using the posts or crossbar of the goal to maintain position on the E-board

The brawler who is awarded possession on a field perp takes a position near the ball at the site of the perp and the opposing brawlers must clear one field line away. At soon as the brawler in possession touches the ball, play resumes.

Contact Perps. Some contact perps result in loss of possession but more egregious infractions are penalized with a burn rush. As a general rule, contact perps that occur against a brawler in their attacking quarter are awarded a burn rush. Contact perps that are a result of dangerous play or result in injury, whether intentional or inadvertent, are awarded a burn rush. Play that puts other brawlers at risk of injury are typically awarded a burn rush. A brawler that continues to commit minor perps despite the warning of the official may be penalized a burn rush or ejected at the official's discretion but prior warning to the subsequent infraction must be given. Common contact perps are listed below but not limited to: (1) using your free arm or any other part of your body to touch another players body or board; (2) making contact with the bludgeon to any part of an opposing brawler's body that is not included in the designated level of contact for that brawl; (3) making contact with the bludgeon to any part of the opposing brawler's E-board; (4) head strikes, leg and board strikes, and back stabbing are contact perps in all levels of BLUDGEONBALL™ play except in the bully circle where back stabbing is permitted. Conversely, back strikes are permitted in the full BLUDGEONBALL™ designation; (5) making contact with the bludgeon on an opposing brawler outside the yield or goal lines after yield has been called by either mob; (6) making illegal board to board contact; (7) making contact with the bludgeon while severed from the E-board; and (8) making contact with a brawler that is actively severed from their E-board.

Board-to-board contact is unavoidable in some circumstances in BLUDGEONBALL™ and is not always considered a perp or infraction. Typically, any board-to-board contact that occurs at an angle greater than 45 degrees is usually a perp by one of the brawlers involved in the contact. To determine which brawler is in violation, the referee must determine if both brawlers were moving or if one had an established position and remained in that position when they were struck. The moving brawler would then be charged with a perp. Conversely, if one brawler had an established vector of movement that was interrupted by another brawler, subsequently inducing a collision, then the brawler that was struck as they moved into the established vector of the other brawler should be charged with a perp. Generally speaking, a brawler that is not rolling on their E-board who is struck at an angle greater than 45 degrees by the board of another brawler should be awarded possession or a burn rush depending on the severity and location of the collision. Likewise, if a brawler is moving with an established vector of travel and has their vector interrupted by another moving brawler causing contact to be unavoidable, then the brawler with the established vector should be awarded possession or a burn rush depending on the location and severity of contact. Minor board to board contact is common when opposing brawlers are traveling next to each other on parallel vectors. This contact is almost always inadvertent, is usually less than 45 degrees, and does not typically result in either brawler becoming severed from their board. Intentional board to board contact despite being less than 45 degrees is still considered a perp.

Burn Rush. The burn rush is the equivalent of a penalty shot awarded to a brawler that was perped by a brawler on the other mob. The burn rush transpires by the offending brawler taking position on their goal line in the goal and the shooter in the center bully circle. The shooter then burn rushes the defender who can only defend the goal using their E-board. The defender's bludgeon must not touch the ball, the brawler, or the board of the brawler making the burn rush otherwise 2 points are awarded to the shooting brawler's mob. If a goal is scored by the shooting brawler, they must still clear to be awarded 2 points otherwise they are only awarded 1 point. During the burn rush, all other brawlers are to be within the defending quarter on the opposite end of the field from the penalized brawler in the goal. At the moment the brawler in the bully circle touches the ball, the other brawlers waiting at ready may leave that quarter and commence play. If another brawler who was not involved in the burn rush touches the ball prior to a goal being scored, the penalized brawler starting on the goal line may once again use their bludgeon as in normal play.

Time Called. Time may be called at any point in play by the referee without necessarily calling a perp or yield. This may be necessary when multiple players have become severed from their boards in the same vicinity which subsequently may increase the risk of injury. Time may be called because of an injury. If an extraneous circumstance or force such as environmental conditions or nearby activity affects the brawl then calling time may be necessary. The referee may call time in order to further evaluate a possible perp or collision before a determination is made that one occurred. If no brawlers are charged with a perp after time has been called then restart of play commences with a scrum at the site where the ball was when time was called.

Substitutions. At any time during active play a substitution may occur as long as the substitution takes place in the defending quarter of the mob making the substitution while the ball is on the other mob's half of play. Substitutions may also occur during time called, injury time, halftime, squelches and prior to a burn rush. Substitutions may not occur on a yield or perp with only loss of possession. The exiting brawler must leave the field of play from their defending quarter and the brawler entering play must do so in the defending quarter after the exiting player crosses the yield or goal line.

The Referee. By nature, BLUDGEONBALL™ is a fluid game with very little time spent not in active play. Play immediately recommences after goals, when the ball leaves the field of play, and when infractions have been called. It is the responsibility of both the brawlers and the referee to keep the pace of play moving and maintain the fluidity and high paced action of BLUDGEONBALL™. The referee's primary objective however is to keep the game safe and fair for all brawlers involved. This includes monitoring activity in the vicinity of the ball as well as the movements and contact away from the ball. Depending on the size of the brawls, additional referees may be required on the yield lines and this is encouraged when indicated. Referees may call yield, perp, or time to immediately stop active play. Play should recommence automatically after a yield call. When a perp is called the referee will indicate possession by using one arm to point at the point where the perp occurred and the other arm to point at the goal the team with possession is attempting to score on. A burn rush is indicated by the referee by raising one arm straight in the air and the other to point at the goal the team awarded the burn rush is attempting to score on. If time is called and neither a perp or burn rush is awarded or if both mobs have been determined to have committed canceling perps, then restart of play commences with a scrum and the referee indicates this by pointing both arms, palms up at the point where the scrum will take place. After the referee calls time, perp, or yield the referee may take additional time to speak freely to the brawlers and give warnings that may result in subsequent burn rushes or ejections for continued infractions. The referee may also call time to issue a warning or ejection.

Referees may choose to not call a perp or time when the perp is intentional but does not affect play. If the team who would otherwise be awarded possession has a tactical advantage at the time the perp would be called, then the referee should not stop play and effectively take that advantage away. Likewise, if a perp occurs outside of the attacking quarter and stops what would otherwise be a clear path to goal, then a burn rush should be awarded and not just possession. This continuation of play is indicated by pointing one arm, palm up at the goal the mob that has possession is attempting to score on.

Playing Without a Referee. BLUDGEONBALL™, although highly competitive at advanced levels, is intended to be an exciting, enjoyable sport that can be played without injury or insult to opposing brawlers. Modifications to the rules are encouraged and necessary depending on the brawlers involved and the field or conditions where a brawl is being played. In most cases brawls without a referee are played amongst friends or brawlers of the same mob and are referred to as mobbing or mob ball. Without a referee, brawlers from either mob can certainly call yield or time when necessary and there is very little to dispute when this occurs. When brawlers call perps on their own, opposing brawlers may disagree. When a perp is called by one brawler and the opposing brawler also feels they have been perped, a bully must take place between the brawlers involved to restart the brawl. If either brawler does not want to bully then the opposing brawler takes possession in their defending quarter and the opposing mob must clear to the half line. If a perp has been called but the opposing brawler does not feel they committed a perp and were not perped themselves, a challenge to the perp is made and is resolved with a scrum at the site where the perp in question occurred. Without a referee the scrum is initiated with a sequence of three board then bludgeon touches after which ball contact and play commences. If a perp is called and the perped brawler feels they should be awarded a burn rush because they were in the attacking quarter or the perp was the result of dangerous play or resulted in injury, then the opposing brawler can either accept the burn rush or challenge. If the opposing brawler disputes the burn rush and issues a challenge then a bully should take place in the bully circle on the defending line of the brawler who issued the challenge. The brawlers not involved in the bully must clear to the half-line until the ball is touched. This is referred to as a lopsided bully as the brawler who initially called the burn rush perp has a distinct advantage, but not as much of an advantage as the brawler would have in a burn rush.

From the above description, it is clear that the inventive concepts disclosed and claimed herein are well adapted to carry out the objects and to attain the advantages mentioned herein, as well as those inherent in the invention. While exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts have been described for purposes of this disclosure, it will be understood that numerous changes may be made which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and which are accomplished within the spirit of the inventive concepts disclosed and claimed herein. 

1. A sports equipment device, comprising: a padded barrel having a lower end, an upper end, and a contact surface extending between the lower end and the upper end, the upper end having a ball receiving depression; and a handle extending from the lower end of the barrel.
 2. The device of claim 1, further comprising: a shaft having a lower portion and an upper portion, the lower portion defining the handle and the upper portion extending through the padded barrel with an uppermost end of the shaft being vertically spaced a distance below the upper end of the padded barrel.
 3. The device of claim 2, wherein the barrel comprises: a padding surrounding the upper portion of the shaft; and a cover surrounding the padding, the cover attached to the upper portion of the shaft in a way to form the ball receiving depression.
 4. The device of claim 3, wherein the cover comprises: a base material; and a stitching extending between the base material and the upper portion of the shaft.
 5. The device of claim 4, wherein the stitching includes a plurality of threads and the upper portion of shaft includes a plurality of openings and the plurality of threads extend through the plurality of openings to the upper portion of the shaft. 